When Jesus wanted to pray he would often find a quiet, peaceful place away from the crowds. In this week's gospel Jesus took three of his disciples; Peter, James and John away to the top of the mountain so they could be alone. God’s voice from the cloud claims Jesus as his Son, the Chosen One, and then goes on to instruct those present – and we, the readers – to ‘Listen to him!’ For the disciples, this was a message not to get carried away with their own ideas about the Messiah but to listen to what Jesus was saying about the suffering he must endure and to what he was saying about true discipleship. Jesus tells us that to be a follower of his involves sacrifice, hardship and often unpopularity. It is this message we must listen to as much as the promise of salvation. During this Lenten season, like the disciples, we are called to consider who Jesus is and what role he plays in our lives.